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VW is changing its logo for the first time since 2000, but it's not alone

Are we starting to see a trend toward flat design in the world of cars like we saw with iOS and Android?

Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
Kyle Hyatt
2 min read
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Volkswagen's ditching the blue and white roundel that it's been using since 2000 in favor of a simpler, 2D design.

Volkswagen

Remember back in 2013 when Apple decided to change the way that its iOS operating system looked by moving away from skeuomorphic designs that mimic 3D and toward so-called flat design?

Well, it looks like the automotive world is finally getting on that design trend as well, albeit six years later. Specifically, Volkswagen is changing its logo, moving away from the bubblelike blue-and-white VW sign to a flat, simple black-and-white logo and it's planning on debuting it officially on a vehicle in Frankfurt, according to a report published Thursday by Autoweek.

That isn't to say that the new logo hasn't been out in the wild at all -- it's being used in the new Hello Light ad campaign as well as on some prototype vehicles -- but the first production car to get it will likely be the new MkVIII Golf.

While one manufacturer changing its logo does not a pattern make, two manufacturers would at least be a start. That's where comes in. It too took its skeuomorphic fake-badge-like logo and binned it in favor of a simplified flat version.

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Lotus is also moving toward flat design with its new logo and we're liking the new look.

Lotus

Both of the new logos, Volkswagen's and Lotus', are familiar enough to be recognizable, but different enough to help create a break in customer's minds and signify a new era for both companies. VW is anxious to distance itself from the dark era of Dieselgate and Lotus -- now backed by Geely -- wants to be thought of more seriously, as a manufacturer of desirable, quality cars.

What do you think of the new logos for Lotus and Volkswagen? Let us know in the comments.

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